Jessica Furseth of Quartz Media reports trends in fashion suggest that yes, Millennials do long for safety, and they are finding comfort in classic, established brands. Furseth writes, “History shows that people tend to retreat toward classic fashions in times of austerity, war, and political unrest.” She quotes several sources that argue established brands are associated with optimism, hopefulness, and a longing to return to an idyllic past. Read the article here.

Over the last decade, anxiety has overtaken depression as the most common reason college students seek counseling services. In its annual survey of students, the American College Health Association found a significant increase — to 62 percent in 2016 from 50 percent in 2011 — of undergraduates reporting “overwhelming anxiety” in the previous year.

The United Methodist Church would love to see their pastors and leaders reach Millennials. Tricia Brown names a few ways that churches can connect: embrace the churchiness of church, use technology appropriately, help Millennials grow spiritually, and meet the felt need for community.

In my workplace, I interact with people from all over the world nearly every day. I have the opportunity to engage with people who look differently than me, live in places far away from my own home, and speak languages I do not understand.

There’s an expression that goes, “Jesus came to earth to build his kingdom, and all he got was this lousy Church.” I find this poignant because many of my Millennial friends are greatly drawn to the concept of the kingdom of God, but find little hope within the institutional Church.

Generally, I have no problem being grouped in with my generational peers. We are dealt a lot of criticism from other generations, but for the most part we laugh it off and take it in stride. Millennials are used to being accused of “ruining” everything from diamonds to brunch to chain restaurants. Yet, I struggle with the claim that Millennials have “ruined” the church.